Phone numbers for Wayland Baptist University's Plainview campus have been changed in order to update phone technology.

According to Virgil Hart, associate director of information services, the campus' phone switch was replaced in the summer of 2001 in order to streamline numbering and bring the campus in line with 9-1-1 requirements.

Prior to the changes, the campus' numbers were under two different prefixes due to expansion made over the years. But with more expansion needed, Hart said the old switch would not support the changes.

"We needed more numbers than before, because of the new girls' dorm. Our numbering had also been very fragmented before," Hart said. "So we made the decision to get all new numbers and put them all in a logical order."

The new switch also allows the university to provide "real numbers" to 9-1-1, meaning that if an emergency call is placed from campus, the exact location on campus is known, rather than simply the main campus address. This means students and staff will be safer, because emergency personnel will be able to locate a situation without guesswork. The switch also enabled the university to use newer phone technology with features like voice mail.

Hart said the university paid for a service that actually forwards the old number to the corresponding new number for about eight months, until the new city phone directories were distributed. Now, only a few key office numbers will bear the recording informing callers of the new number, and that service will only last for a few more months.

The new numbers for key offices on campus are as follows: Main switchboard, 291-1000; President, Dr. Paul Armes, 291-3515; Chancellor, Dr. Wallace Davis, 291-3400; Alumni services, 291-3600; Registrar's office, 291-3470; Admissions, 291-3500; Financial Aid, 291-3520; Athletics, 291-1155; University Store, 291-3615; and Public Relations, 291-3585. All other numbers should be included in the new directories.